This invention relates to a method and apparatus for mixing and combinatorially counting and weighing articles of a plurality of kinds. More particularly, the invention relates to a fully automated system for packaging a wide variety of, e.g., sweets such as chocolates and candies in a single pack, wherein a set number of the articles which are high in unit price or large in volume are introduced into the pack, and wherein the weight of the pack is held within set limits.
Conventionally, in the above-described mixing and weighing operation involving a large variety of goods, introducing a designated number of high-priced articles into the mixture is, in most cases, an activity performed by hand. Accordingly, there is strong demand for automation of the mixing and weighing operation when dealing with goods of which there is a large variety. This derives from the recent high cost of labor and from the fact that manual operations are inefficient, troublesome and tend to diminish the accuracy of weighing and counting operations. An automated system for mixing, counting and weighing a wide variety of articles would raise both the efficiency and accuracy of these operations.